Norwegian Jewel Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,358 reviews

Wonderful

Review for the Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
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TimJansen
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Family
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Nov 2022

We chose this cruise for a couple of reasons - ports of call including the Panama Canal and second the price was amazing. NCL service is absolutely TOP NOTCH in all aspects of delivery. Everyone was polite, helpful, kind and courteous. The Jewel is a great ship - just the right size - not too big/not too small. The refurbishment is NICE. Ports of call included Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Acalpulco, Guatemala, Costa Rica and daylight transit of the Panama Canal - we were supposed to stop in Nicaragua but that stop was eliminated at the beginning of the cruise (no real reason given but we heard govt issues/covid protocols). The disembarkation port of Colon, Panama is a bit sketchy - the neighborhood is not good - our taxi driver kept referring to the high level of violence in the neighborhood. Ports were largely amazing - lots to do and as always easy to do things without expensive shore excursions off the ship. Lots of deals to be had for tours off the ship.

We had a balcony cabin that was a bit small but serviceable and well located. Food was hit/miss- buffets had lots of choices but quality and temperature often were issues. Specialty restaurants were also hit/miss - Cagney's Steakhouse was great but the Italian Restaurant was not so great. Bar/lounge staff were, as always, fantastic.

The entertainment on this cruise was AMAZING. We had several headliners who put on amazing shows. Everything we saw was off the chain fantastic!

Cabin Review

No idea of the category - we booked an inside cabin and bid on an upgrade to a balcony which we got. The cabin was small but serviceable. The bathrooms are small and there isn't a great deal of room to move around.

Port Reviews

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo is user friendly and easy to navigate - we walked around the docks and were able to find lots of tour opportunities. Taking a local tour out to the Arch was amazing - we saved huge $$$$ doing it that way - you can get trips out to the Arch for $15/person.

Acapulco

Acapulco has lots to offer - many opportunities off the ship for tours, etc. City guides are available for free (tip expected) to show you the sights. The Cliff Divers are simply not too be missed -the ticket is inexpensive at the sight ($3/each) and it's walkable from the ship (lots of uphill - about 1.5 miles)

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